Minor hockey boom puts squeeze on ice time

Minor hockey players in Calgary will be getting a little less ice time this season.

The city does not have enough rinks to accommodate all those who want to play hockey, said Murray Briceland, the general manager of Hockey Calgary, the city's minor hockey organization.

There are 38 arenas in Calgary, providing 45 sheets of ice. There are 13,000 players enrolled in minor hockey this season, Briceland says, making up about 750 teams. No one was turned away, he added.

To ensure players get ice time, team rosters have been increased and the length of some games has been shaved by 15 minutes.

"We're at a critical point," Briceland said. "We will get through this."

Briceland added that some of the best ice time, in the early evenings, is booked by adult recreational leagues, who don't want to give it up. That means many minor hockey players are leaving school early to practise in the afternoon.

"That's when the ice is available, unfortunately," Briceland said. "That becomes a strain getting coaches that are available and for parents to get the kids to the rinks at that hour."

Briceland's biggest concern is next season. Hockey Calgary added about 750 new players this season and a similar increase could mean teams will play fewer games, he said.

"Next year will be very, very tight," he said.